1 in 6 families in BC struggle with infertility

Infertility is a serious medical condition with a highly effective treatmentbut it is out of reach for many in BC due to issues of access and cost.

Did you know?

We are passionate patient advocates, having experienced infertility and the financial hardship of IVF treatment. We were shocked at the lack of support for our medical condition and think BC can do better. Strong families help build strong communities, a thriving economy and a more secure future for the next generations.

Together we can make a difference!

Get involved.

let politicians and the public know that this issue affects all of us.
join our social networks below and if you feel like sharing, provide your name, city, and a brief description of your fertility story.

Let the government and the public know how you have been affected by infertility. Share your experience and read about other people's experiences.

Nicole and Juvarya become friends and passionate patient advocates following their own person struggle with infertility. Having experienced firsthand the emotional and financial toll of this unsupported medical condition in BC, they decided to embark on IVF4BC to help others and to bring change. Together we can make a difference!

"Publicly funding IVF treatments not only gives all British Columbians the opportunity to build a family, regardless of their income or geography, it also supports better health outcomes for mother and baby while delivering cost savings to the health system.” - Dr. Timothy Rowe, Head of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of British Columbia

Nick and his wife struggled with infertility for 6 years. It turned out Nick had a benign tumour on his pituitary gland leading to low sperm count. Nick began treatment for the tumour but his sperm count never recovered. IVF was their only option to have a child but they couldn’t afford it. Nick turned to a crowd sourcing campaign and was able to raise enough money for one round of IVF. They were lucky enough for that round to be successful and in March 2014 had a son.

Kirstin underwent IVF with ISCI and CCS in late 2014 after being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, three failed IUIs and a miscarriage. They were lucky to have a healthy 9 lb baby boy 41 weeks later but the process cost their young family almost $20,000.

Mary Jane, a professional photographer specializing in maternity & newborn portraits, was reminded everyday through her work of the dream that kept eluding her. She struggled for 4 years with infertility until she was blessed with Lucy. Today, hoping for a sister or brother for Lucy, her struggle continues. Having spent $38,000 for treatments, the family is now cashing in RRSPs as they don’t want any regrets later in life that they didn’t try one last time. It was by opening up and sharing with her clients, many of whom went through similar struggles and shared their stories, that she was able to keep going and is why she is advocating for more government support today.

Misty, age 26, did two fresh cycles of in vitro fertilization at a cost of $18,000, opting to put back two embryos per cycle in an attempt to maximize her chances of getting pregnant. To her surprise, both embryos took, resulting in twins. She endured a complicated, high risk pregnancy, delivering at 32 weeks. The twins were born with low birth weight and feeding complications that required a five and a half week stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit.

John, from Prince George, was in shock when he learned that the "morphology" - that is, the shape of his sperm, are not conducive to fertilization. He said, "We have less than a 1% chance of conceiving naturally, basically 0%. I can't believe it... this means I may never have kids because I can't afford to get treatments in Vancouver!"

Help build a stronger BC. Together we can make IVF funding a reality.

Nearly half of British Columbians have been touched by infertility either personally or through a friend.

Publicly funding in vitro fertilization treatment gives all British Columbians, regardless of income or geography, the opportunity to build their families safely. Families are British Columbia's foundation. Strong families help build strong communities, a thriving economy, and a more secure future for the next generations.

Infertility is recognized by the World Health Organization as a disease that affects both men and women. IVF treatments, although often successful, are physically demanding and expensive and are located only in major urban centers in BC.

IVF is a safe and highly effective treatment for infertility, particularly when tied to a single embryo transfer policy. This ensures that one healthy baby is delivered per pregnancy cycle, with the best results for mother and baby.

The average cost for a single round of in IVF is $10,000 not including the costs of medications, taking time off work, and the time and cost to travel for treatment.

IVF works and every person who can benefit from it should be able to access it, not just those with money.

Did you know?

Over the first five years, publicly funding in vitro fertilization in British Columbia would result in a net savings of $78 million.

Infertility treatments are funded in many other provinces and countries. Because the province does not cover the cost of in vitro fertilization, the government is spending millions of dollars every year dealing with the consequences of multiple births.

In Canada, Quebec has taken the lead by publicly funding in vitro fertilization treatments. Since 2010, the provincial government has been fully funding three in vitro fertilization cycles, including all of the required pharmaceuticals.

In 2011, after just one year of publicly funding in vitro fertilization, the Quebec government reported that the number of multiple births from assisted reproductive technologies in that province dropped markedly from roughly 28 per cent to approximately 5 per cent. Earlier this year, the former Quebec Health Minister who introduced the Quebec policy publicly estimated that the province was saving between $30 million and $60 million annually as a result of the reduction in multiple births.

In British Columbia, publicly funding in vitro fertilization would result in a net savings of $78 million in the first five years, and our multiple birth rate would sharply decline to less than 10%.

British Columbia is home to Canada's first in vitro fertilization baby. Today, we have an opportunity to be leaders once again by advancing our public policies related to in vitro fertilization, to assist those suffering with infertility and help them build healthy families for our future.